Belt-shifter.



E. HELM.

i BELT SHIFTERQ APPLIOAT ION-PILED JUNE 13, 1910.

11,005,207, Patented 001. 10, 1911.

2 B.HEETSSHEET 1.

COLUMBIA vLANuuuAPu cu, WASHINGTON, I). c.

E. HELM.

BELT SHIFTER. APPLICATION FILED 111111313, 1910.

1,005,207. Patented 001. 10,1911.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

ERNST HELM, OF WEGELEBEN, GERMANY.

BELT-SHIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed June 13, 1910. Serial No. 566,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST HELM, a sub ject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and resident of W egeleben, Province of Saxony, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt- Shifters, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to belt-shifting mechanism of the kind usuallyapplied for this purpose to a set of loose and fast pulleys, and it isthe object of the present invention to provide a belt-shifting mechanismfor use with a driving pulley and an auxiliary pulley or the likeconnected with a stationary part and adapted to receive the belt.

For shifting the belt from the stationary pulley or the like, themechanism is fitted with arms so disposed as to apply against the edgesof the belt at the extreme crown portion of the pulley and shifts itaway from the stationary pulley. By adopting the aforesaid mechanismvarious advantages are obtained of which the most essential advantage isthat of an important saving in driving power by reason of the absence offriction from the idle pulley. This is especially a consideration inlarge installations. The stationary pulley or its equivalent, may have astraight or a concave periphery of slightly less diameter than theordinary driving pulley. WVith this arrangement the belt does notstretch because it hangs loose on the stationary pulley. The belt lastslonger and the lubrication of an idle running pulley is saved.Furthermore, in case of accident in connection with the running belt,the latter can be instantly stopped.

My improved arrangement is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a front-elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 is aside-elevation.

On the shaft 1 is fixedan ordinary driving pulley 2 which by means ofbelt 3 rotates the pulley 4 of a machine-tool or the like.

Close to the side of pulley 2 there is a ring, drum, pulley, curvedplate 5 or the like which is independent of or separate from the shaft 1and is carried by a rigid arm or bracket 6 suitably fixed to a wall 7 orto a column or the like. In some instances the stationary pulley 5 maybe fixed to overhead joints or to the bearings or the brackets of theshaft 1. The pulley or plate 5 is in axial alinement with pulley 2 andhas either a cylindrical or a concave periphery. The adjacent edges ofboth pulleys 2 and 5 must have the same diameter.

Brackets or carriers 8 fixed to the wall 7 or to any other stationarypart, hold two shifting rods 9 connected together by a cross-bar 10 towhich is pivotally secured a reversing arm 11 operated by means of ahandle 12. To the shifting rods 9 are fixed ordinary depending prongs 13which engage the belt between them and in addition thereto they carryshifter-arms 1 1 which with their outer ends slide over the periphery ofthe stationary ring or pulley 5.

l Vhen moving the reversing arm 11 in the direction of the arrow (Fig.2) the prongs 13 will move the belt onto the sta' tionary ring or pulley5 and as the latter has a smaller diameter than pulley 2-, the belt willhang loose. When moving the reversing arm 11 back again to the positionshown in Fig. 2, the flat ends of the shifterarms 1a will press againstthe uppermost portion of the edge of the belt near the highest point ofthe ring, pulley, curved plate 5 or the like and so shift the looselyhanging belt bodily onto the pulley 2.

The mechanism is equally adaptable for horizontally running belts.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Abelt shifter comprising in combination with the driving pulley, astationary member arranged on one side of said driving pulley andpresenting a round surface with edges of the-same diameter as andparallel to those of said pulley, guide rods arranged above said drivingpulley and stationary member and adapted to be shifted transversely tosaid stationary member, shifting arms fixed to said guide rods andhaving signed my name this 7th day of May 1910,

their outer ends sliding over the circumferin the presence of twosubscribing wltnesses. ence of said statlonary member and adapted T tocarry the belt to said driving pulley, and ERA ST HELM' Vmeans forshifting said guiding rods, sub- Witnesses: stantially as set forth. GUSLADWERDZ, In testimony whereof I have hereunto FRAU LANGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

